


The Start of Something New - Steve Rogers x Reader

by captainofherheart



Category: Steve Rogers - Fandom
Genre: F/M, Steve Rogers Fanfic, Steve Rogers x You - Freeform, captainofherheart, steve rogers fluff, steve rogers proposes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-19
Updated: 2019-02-19
Packaged: 2019-10-31 09:49:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,046
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17847128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/captainofherheart/pseuds/captainofherheart
Summary: Following Valentine’s Day, Steve takes you away to snowy, mountaintop resort for a long weekend.  The change in pace brings out a whole new side of Steve and gives him ideas for the future





	The Start of Something New - Steve Rogers x Reader

Valentine’s Day had landed on a Thursday this year and you and your boyfriend, Steve Rogers, had decided to skip the gifts and go on a vacation instead.  A long, four day weekend trip to a bed and breakfast in the mountains of Vermont. No stress, no electronics and, most importantly, no saving the world. It was just the two of you with nothing to do but relax and enjoy the amenities that the cozy mountain top resort had to offer. 

You arrived late Friday morning and the fresh mountain air was an instant sedative. Over the next few days, the two of you enjoyed hours of skiing, sledding, long soaks in the bathtub made for two, and even a horse drawn carriage ride around the property.  The nights featured rousing games by the fire with other couples staying at the resort. 

In all the time you’d known Steve, he’d never seemed so low key and at ease. 

Steve befriended the innkeepers' dog.  A gigantic, fluffy and lovable Newfoundland named Apollo.  Anytime the dog was in the same room as Steve, they were side by side, with Steve stroking his black fur.  

One day, totally outside of his normally stoic character, Steve even became the instigator in an adults only snowball fight out on the field that lay beyond the parking area.  Twelve grown up children, yourself included, battled it out in the cool sunshine, using barrels, tractors, fences and trees as barricades to hide behind. Apollo, of course, was part of the fun, too, jumping and barking at the balls as he tried to catch them. 

Steve’s relaxed state of mind came into the bedroom, too, and the two of you made love more passionately than you ever had before.  It didn’t matter what the time of day or night was, if you had even a few minutes alone you were attacking each other. This weekend sparked levels to your relationship you didn’t even knew existed.  

It was pure magic. 

You’d gone to bed together Sunday night, but you woke up close to four am because you felt cold.  As you rolled over to snuggle into Steve and share his body heat, you found him missing from the bed.  Barefoot, you padded your way out of the bedroom in search for him. 

He hadn’t gone very far, just to the adjacent living room that made up your suite.  

You had sensed a change in him after a conversation earlier in the day. It was slight, but you’d seen it happen before.  Steve would sometimes get caught up in reverie and regret. When these episodes hit him, they would hit him hard. 

The story he had told you this afternoon had been about his best friend, Bucky Barnes, and the old days of their youth. He had been reminded of the particular story while sledding down a hill behind the resort.  As the memory had played out in his mind, he'd shared it. 

He'd told you how he used to beg his mom to let him go out in the snow with his best friend, but how he had never been allowed to.  Bucky would tell him stories about his adventures later and would embellish the hell out of them. 

That story had given way to another one and he’d told of another time when, because of his asthma, Steve hadn't even been allowed to go outside and build a snowman, so Bucky had brought one to him, building it right in view of the kitchen window.    

You loved it when he shared things with you, and wanted so badly to help him be more expressive.  But Steve had a tendency to hold things in, spending too much time in his own head. Over the course of your relationship, he had learned to express some of those thoughts with you, but it was still difficult and new to him.  Steve Rogers wasn’t a man who was able to trust others easily.

You understood his plight all too well.  Several months before meeting Steve, you had been involved in an incident that had nearly taken your life.  You knew first hand that physical scars healed a lot sooner than the emotional ones. By the time you’d met Steve, you’d been stronger, but you had still been battling some major demons and romance had been the farthest thing from your mind.  You had never expected to find both a lover and a person who could help heal your wounds in the same body. 

The fact that both of you struggled with PTSD was something that had made your bond so much stronger than you ever could have imagined.  Steve had introduced you to his friend, Sam Wilson, and he had been a lot of help in getting you past some of your own trauma.

As you approached the chair where Steve was sitting, you noted that there was a fire burning in the gas fireplace, bringing warmth to the room and providing the only light. Steve was sitting in a dark brown, leather club chair that faced the mesmerising flicker.

“Hey, there you are,” you said softly as you reached the back of the chair.  Your fingertips lightly touched the top of his head and you ran them gently through his hair, massaging his scalp.  You could see his profile from your vantage point and, when he closed his eyes, your fingers massaged a little deeper until you saw the set of his shoulders relax.  Steve raised his eyes to meet yours, then held his hand out to you. 

You accepted it and allowed him to lead you around the chair, curling yourself up onto his lap.  Your arm rested around his shoulders, allowing you to resume your soothing touches, playing with the bottom of his hair and stroking his neck.  He held you by the waist, cradling you to his body. 

“Bad dream?” you asked, searching his face for confirmation.

He nodded as confirmation.  “I usually go for a run when these hit, but I can’t in this weather.  The snow’s too deep and it’s way too cold out there.”

“True, you could freeze again.,” you teased.  “You’ve already been defrosted once, I don’t think your body would appreciate going through that twice.”

“I defrost well though,” he said, a small chuckle escaping him.  It was both heartbreaking and lighthearted to hear because the humor didn’t quite reach his eyes.  

Playfully, you teased, "I’ll give you that, you were a wonderful Capsicle, did a bang up job melting.”

He kissed your hand and watched your face as he quoted a line from a movie you’d recently watched together.  “Some people are worth melting for.” 

You smiled lovingly at him and rested your head against his.  You both stayed that way, snuggled together and sitting quietly with the crackle of the fire, along with your own breathing as the only sounds in the room.  

You decided to ask Steve something that had been gnawing at you since the day you had first met.  There were so many times when you’d seen him struggling to make sense of things in the world, so many times he just didn’t seem to enjoy being in it again. Quietly, you asked, “Do you ever regret it?  Being found, I mean?”

He didn’t answer right away, and that made you nervous. Maybe you shouldn’t have asked. Perhaps it would set off another emotional trigger for him. 

Instead, you learned, he was only taking his time to figure out the best way to explain himself.  

Hesitantly, he said, “For a while I did.  I had made my decision, had been okay with it.  I never -- not even for a second -- expected that I’d survive that crash and find myself alive in this time.” 

He paused and swallowed hard, his eyes now fixed upon the flames, “Once the bewilderment wore off, the anger began.  So many things had been lost, so much taken away from me. So much had changed. I didn’t know my place in this world and I didn’t think there would be anything to make it all worthwhile.”

Steve took your hand and held it tightly, shaking it for emphasis.  Turning to look directly into your eyes, he confessed, “And then I met you.  I didn’t realize right away that you were the one that was going to change my point of view.  But ever since the night I realized that I loved you, and you told me you loved me too, I saw hope and not dismay for the first time in a long time.”

You gave him a gentle kiss and told him, “I remember being so surprised when you took my hand that night.  I’d had feelings for you for a while, but I wasn’t sure if you felt the same.” 

He moved his hand to cup your cheek, drawing you close for another, longer kiss.  When it ended, he kept you close and said, in a voice strong with emotions, “We both got second chances at life.  It’s a miracle that either one of us is here right now. It can’t be for nothing. It can’t not mean something. We weren’t kept on this earth to just go through the motions of life.”

You remained quiet, only nodding your agreement, sensing there was more he wanted to say and not wanting to derail whatever it was. He didn’t speak from the heart like this often, but when he did, it meant something had been weighing heavily on his mind.  

Steve moved his hand back down to your waist and clasped his hands behind you, encircling you. “This getaway, this place, the sense of normalcy, it’s the longest I’ve gotten to just be myself in a long time. It’s made me realize there’s so much more out there for me.”  With pleading eyes, he looked at you and said, “I want a normal life, a quiet life, with the woman I love and anything else that comes with it.”

Your breath caught and the tiny hairs on the back of your neck rose as your intuition alerted you as to where this could be going. 

Cautiously, you asked, “Do you think you could do it? Walk away from being Cap?”  You honestly didn’t know if he could. It was just so ingrained in his being. 

He paused, contemplation showing on his face 

“Would it surprise you to know that I was talking to the owners today about the business?  I love the idea of a place like this. Being able to offer a sanctuary to people, a refuge to their every day stresses.”

You were extremely surprised.  It lit up your eyes with wonder as you asked him, “Really?”

“Well, yeah.  I mean, it would probably be a good idea to take a few classes in hospitality or hotel management.  It’s probably not necessary, but anything worth doing is worth doing right. It would give me time to groom someone else to take over as Captain America. Maybe Sam,” he said, thinking out loud. 

He stopped speaking for a moment, looking around pensively at the surroundings.  “I think I could handle running something like this. That is, with you by my side, of course.”

Steve took your hand in his, looking down at it for a moment, then entwined his fingers with your own. When he looked back up, his eyes had a slight sheen to them. 

“Will you marry me?” he asked, his eyes searching yours for the answer he hoped would cross your lips. 

You’d had a gut feeling that it was coming, but you still found yourself dumbfounded as the question seemed to come out of nowhere.  Your mind was stunned and your ears disbelieving that they’d heard him correctly. All that you could do was stare at his soft, blue eyes, unable to speak just yet.

Steve misunderstood the reaction, immediately berating himself.  “Damn it, I’m such an idiot. I was planning on asking you differently. I wanted to make it this whole special evening for you, like they do in the movies.”  He dropped his head back, lamenting, “For Christ’s sake I don’t even have a ring!” He was shaking his head as he spoke. “I’m so sorry, this isn’t the way it was supposed to go, you don’t have to answer me -”

You cut him off before he could dig himself any deeper into his misery hole, and moved a hand to cup his face, forcing him to look at you. 

With tears beginning to form in your eyes, you said, in a voice just above a whisper, “Steven Grant Rogers, stop.  Just stop. This was perfect. I didn’t know you were even considering asking.”

“Why wouldn’t I?” he asked, bewildered.  Earnestly, and with passion, he confessed to you, “You make everything possible for me, make me feel like the man I always wished I could be.  I can’t imagine my life without you.” He reached up and brushed a tear off of your cheek, then added tenderly, “All I can imagine is my future with you.”

You wiped some tears away yourself and tutted, “And you think you’re not perfect,” as you looked at this man who was also your everything. 

“I  _ know _ I’m far from perfect.”  He took your hand off of his face, stroking the ring finger as he said, apologetically, “I meant what I said.  You don’t have to answer me tonight, I understand if you want to wait until I have a ring, or need to think it over.”

You stopped him right there.  “I don’t need a ring and you don’t have to ask me again. Of course I’ll marry you!” 

His face beamed with happiness as you threw your arms around him.  “I love you so much, Steve!" you said, giving him a kiss and then hugging him tightly, both of you crying like the sentimental fools that you were. 

After a few minutes, you released him and moved to snuggle into his side again.  Content and beyond your wildest dreams happy, you watched the fire with him. 

“Steve, are you serious about changing, um, careers - for lack of a better term?” 

“I really am. I don’t feel like I’ve truly been living.  I was brought back and almost immediately had to return to battle mode.  I wasn’t really given a choice, no matter what Fury might say to the contrary,” he said, shaking his head and rolling his eyes.  It made you giggle. Fury would also claim to be right. Pushing his finger into the chair to mark his points, Steve said, “I don’t want to spend the rest of my life fighting.  I want my freedom. I want choices.” 

He kissed the top of your head, stroking his other hand down your arm as he calmed down.  “I want to be your husband and raise a family with you.” You looked up and met his eyes, seeing a boyish grin as he added, “maybe even get a dog or two.”  

You wanted that too.  All of it. Even the dogs.  You sat up straight and slapped him on the thigh, insisting, “So let’s do it!”  Excited for your future, you explained, “We can take online courses together, whatever it takes! I’m there with you.”

Already brainstorming, and enjoying your enthusiasm, Steve offered, “Maybe upstate New York somewhere? Not too far from the people we know.”“We can give our friends a special rate. May not be a bad idea to add some sort of ‘designated parking’ like area of the lawn for Thor’s takeoffs.”

“That man has no regard for lawn maintenance,” Steve joked.

“And I doubt he ever will. Better to just say, South field reserved for God of Thunder!”

After some laughter and additional silly brainstorming, Steve suddenly declared, “Oh! I have an idea!” He leaned over the side of the chair, taking a pen with the resort’s name on it from a side table. He uncapped the black pen and took your ring finger.  

“It may not be a diamond, but it will be original,” he said with a wink and set about drawing a ring on your finger in ink.  

It was positively surreal, and you couldn’t stop your heart from galloping.  The nerves were making your hand shake. “You have to stop trembling, it’s going to make it look messy,” he chastised, playfully.

“Sure, Steve.  I have total control over that when the most romantic moment of my life is happening.”

Cheekily, he quipped, “You mean ‘most romantic moment of your life' so far.”  You took a deep, steadying breath and tried to relax.

You watched him work, enjoying the way his face contorted in concentration as he added tiny details into the ring he was drawing. As the image took shape, the reality of the moment hit you and new tears formed in your eyes. 

“You’re going to smudge your ring if you keep dropping tears on it,” he warned.

Moving your head away, a smile upon your lips at the sass in his voice, you allowed him to finish his design.  You made a mental note to take a close up photo of it once it was done to see if it could be recreated somehow into a real ring, or maybe a tattoo.   

“Done,” Steve said, sitting back and holding your hand up as he inspected his work. 

“I love it, Steve. This was the most romantic proposal you ever could have come up with.”

You and Steve discussed the next steps: how to tell everyone, where you would live and, of course, brainstormed the wedding.  The sun was beginning to rise and you watched it light up the sky, snuggled up and warm before the fire. Together. 

“Do we really have to leave today?” Steve said with a plaintive whine

“I’m afraid so. We’re both expected back at work tomorrow.  But we have the whole day.”

You brought your nose close to his and gave him an eskimo kiss.  “For now though, I think we should get some sleep.”

“Only sleep?” he asked, with a raise of his brow.

“After we officially celebrate our engagement, that is.”

A mischievous, yet somehow sweet, smile came over his face as he said, “After you, Mrs. Soon-to-Be Rogers.”

 


End file.
